Bugs as drugs: neglected but a promising future therapeutic strategy in cancer

Mithoor Divyashree; Shama K Prakash; Vankadari Aditya; Alaa Aa Aljabali; Khalid J Alzahrani; Vasco Azevedo; Aristóteles Góes-neto; Murtaza M Tambuwala; Debmalya Barh

doi:10.2217/fon-2021-1137

Bugs as drugs: neglected but a promising future therapeutic strategy in cancer

Mithoor Divyashree
, Shama K Prakash
, Vankadari Aditya
, Alaa Aa Aljabali
, Khalid J Alzahrani
, Vasco Azevedo
, Aristóteles Góes-neto
, Murtaza M Tambuwala
, Debmalya Barh

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

190 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Effective cancer treatment is an urgent need due to the rising incidence of cancer. One of the most promising future strategies in cancer treatment is using microorganisms as cancer indicators, prophylactic agents, immune activators, vaccines or vectors in antitumor therapy. The success of bacteria-mediated chemotherapy will be dependent on the balance of therapeutic benefit and the control of bacterial infection in the body. Additionally, protozoans and viruses have the potential to be used in cancer therapy. This review summarizes how these microorganisms interact with tumor microenvironments and the challenges of a ‘bugs as drugs' approach in cancer therapy. Several standpoints are discussed, such as bacteria as vectors for gene therapy that shuttle therapeutic compounds into tumor tissues, their intrinsic antitumor activities and their combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Bug-based cancer therapy is a two-edged sword and we need to find the opportunities by overcoming the challenges.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1609-1626
Number of pages	18
Journal	Future Oncology
Volume	18
Issue number	13
Early online date	9 Feb 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2217/fon-2021-1137
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 13 Apr 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Murtaza Tambuwala.

Funding

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending or royalties.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Cancer
microbes
therapeutics
cancer therapy
bacteria-mediated therapy
attenuation
antitumor response
biosurfactants
biofilms

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10.2217/fon-2021-1137

fon-2021-1137Final published version, 2.27 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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title = "Bugs as drugs: neglected but a promising future therapeutic strategy in cancer",

abstract = "Effective cancer treatment is an urgent need due to the rising incidence of cancer. One of the most promising future strategies in cancer treatment is using microorganisms as cancer indicators, prophylactic agents, immune activators, vaccines or vectors in antitumor therapy. The success of bacteria-mediated chemotherapy will be dependent on the balance of therapeutic benefit and the control of bacterial infection in the body. Additionally, protozoans and viruses have the potential to be used in cancer therapy. This review summarizes how these microorganisms interact with tumor microenvironments and the challenges of a {\textquoteleft}bugs as drugs' approach in cancer therapy. Several standpoints are discussed, such as bacteria as vectors for gene therapy that shuttle therapeutic compounds into tumor tissues, their intrinsic antitumor activities and their combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Bug-based cancer therapy is a two-edged sword and we need to find the opportunities by overcoming the challenges.",

keywords = "Cancer, microbes, therapeutics, cancer therapy, bacteria-mediated therapy, attenuation, antitumor response, biosurfactants, biofilms",

author = "Mithoor Divyashree and Prakash, \{Shama K\} and Vankadari Aditya and Aljabali, \{Alaa Aa\} and Alzahrani, \{Khalid J\} and Vasco Azevedo and Arist{\'o}teles G{\'o}es-neto and Tambuwala, \{Murtaza M\} and Debmalya Barh",

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doi = "10.2217/fon-2021-1137",

language = "English",

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AU - Divyashree, Mithoor

AU - Prakash, Shama K

AU - Aditya, Vankadari

AU - Aljabali, Alaa Aa

AU - Alzahrani, Khalid J

AU - Azevedo, Vasco

AU - Góes-neto, Aristóteles

AU - Tambuwala, Murtaza M

AU - Barh, Debmalya

PY - 2022/4/13

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N2 - Effective cancer treatment is an urgent need due to the rising incidence of cancer. One of the most promising future strategies in cancer treatment is using microorganisms as cancer indicators, prophylactic agents, immune activators, vaccines or vectors in antitumor therapy. The success of bacteria-mediated chemotherapy will be dependent on the balance of therapeutic benefit and the control of bacterial infection in the body. Additionally, protozoans and viruses have the potential to be used in cancer therapy. This review summarizes how these microorganisms interact with tumor microenvironments and the challenges of a ‘bugs as drugs' approach in cancer therapy. Several standpoints are discussed, such as bacteria as vectors for gene therapy that shuttle therapeutic compounds into tumor tissues, their intrinsic antitumor activities and their combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Bug-based cancer therapy is a two-edged sword and we need to find the opportunities by overcoming the challenges.

AB - Effective cancer treatment is an urgent need due to the rising incidence of cancer. One of the most promising future strategies in cancer treatment is using microorganisms as cancer indicators, prophylactic agents, immune activators, vaccines or vectors in antitumor therapy. The success of bacteria-mediated chemotherapy will be dependent on the balance of therapeutic benefit and the control of bacterial infection in the body. Additionally, protozoans and viruses have the potential to be used in cancer therapy. This review summarizes how these microorganisms interact with tumor microenvironments and the challenges of a ‘bugs as drugs' approach in cancer therapy. Several standpoints are discussed, such as bacteria as vectors for gene therapy that shuttle therapeutic compounds into tumor tissues, their intrinsic antitumor activities and their combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Bug-based cancer therapy is a two-edged sword and we need to find the opportunities by overcoming the challenges.

KW - Cancer

KW - microbes

KW - therapeutics

KW - cancer therapy

KW - bacteria-mediated therapy

KW - attenuation

KW - antitumor response

KW - biosurfactants

KW - biofilms

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85128194861

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DO - 10.2217/fon-2021-1137

M3 - Article

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SP - 1609

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JO - Future Oncology

JF - Future Oncology

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ER -

Bugs as drugs: neglected but a promising future therapeutic strategy in cancer

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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Cite this